Praise of Alaska Native Writers, Storytellers & Orators

Alaska Native Writers, Storytellers & Orators: The Expanded Edition

from Kirkus Reviews, August 1, 1999

"...This is quite a tidy little omnibus of poems, oral histories, folk tales, and stories by Native Alaskans, many appearing in their original languages with translations on facing pages. ...Alaska Quarterly Review is to be commended. ...Those unfamiliar with Alaska culture will find in the very extensive commentaries a useful orientation to what remains a largely unknown world. The commentaries and notes, in fact, may prove of greater interest to many than the tales and poems themselves, offering as they do a glimpse into the history of our Last Frontier."

from Anchorage Daily News, October 31, 1999

"This is the book to buy, devour and keep on the shelf. ...Readers with appetites for literature, history, Native culture, legends, anthropology or Alaska wilderness won't be disappointed with this book. Alaska Quarterly Review has produced a powerful collection of old stories and legends as well as contemporary Native writing. By including texts in original languages, as well as English translations, this volume becomes a collector's book as well as a historical document. ...Alaska Native Writers is a reader's rich potlatch. "

"This is an excellent anthology of material from the Native Peoples of Alaska.…Taken as a whole it is an exceptionally sound introduction to Alaska Native oral traditions. …("Contemporary Works") reveals the landscapes and cultures of Alaska as alive and thriving and form a perfect counterpoint to a similar focus apparent in many of the oral narratives. …The editors have given enough general information to ground the reader, but they have also given some commentary specific to individual pieces. The end result is that readers are informed but not lectured to. …An excellent resource for those interested in learning more about Alaska Native Literature. …Weighing in at almost twice the original size, this new and expanded volume is the single best way to introduce yourself or your students to Alaska Native Literature."--James Ruppert